With Euro 2008 under two weeks away, Turkey have been dealt a huge blow to their plans. Promising young full back Gokhan Gonul will miss the tournament completely.

Gonul withdrew from the provisional squad after tests confirmed that he had damaged a metatarsal in his right foot. His doctors have advised that Gonul should rest the foot for at least four weeks.

After an impressive season with his club Fenerbache, Gonul was widely expected to impress at Euro 2008 this summer. The right back had recently played against Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and there have been some suggestions in the media that the 23-year old may be transferred to a big European club this summer.

The player himself recognizes that perhaps he pushed himself too much towards the end of the season. Speaking at the weekend, Gonul said “I was about to take part in one of the world's biggest tournaments. It was a great opportunity to show my talents. I made a mistake and now I apologize for this. I'm planning to go to Switzerland to support my team-mates”.

Turkish coach, Fatih Terim has said that he does not anticipate calling up a replacement for Gonul.